Phi-Phi

Phi-Phi is an opérette légère in three acts with music by Henri Christiné and a French libretto by Albert Willemetz and Fabien Solar. The piece was one which founded the new style of French comédie musicale, the first to really use the latest rhythms of jazz (one-step, fox trot) along with a plot which emphasised comedy – with risqué dialogue of puns and anachronisms – more than the romantic style, which had predominated before. The success of the piece prompted imitators in Paris such as Le petit Phi-Phi (3 March 1922) and Les amants de Phi-Phi (13 March 1923). It also led to a spate of similarly titled stage works: Clo-Clo, Dédé, You-You, Pan Pan... A 1922 London production, in English, was very successful.

Phi-Phi opened on 12 November 1918, directly after the end of the First World War, at the Bouffes-Parisiens. After about three months it became a major hit, running for three years. A Paris revival was very successful in 1979-80.

An English-language production premiered at the London Pavilion on 16 August 1922. It starred Stanley Lupino, Evelyn Laye, Arthur Roberts and Clifton Webb. The translation was by Fred Thompson and Clifford Grey, and the score included additional songs by Herman Darewski, Nat Ayer and Cole Porter. This became a hit, playing for over 1,000 performances in London.

A French film version was made in 1926, and it is still revived from time to time in France. It was recorded for French Radio in 1956.

Setting : the workshop of Phidias in Greece, around 600 BC.

...
Wikipedia